London, September 15
Britain, the Nepal government, and former Gurkha representatives held informal talks in London on Monday.
The meeting took place at the Nepali Embassy in London between Calvin Bailey, the UK Ministry of Defence’s Minister for Veterans and People, and ten Gurkha representatives affiliated with the G10 group. It was the first such discussion between Minister Bailey and the G10 representatives, arranged through the efforts of Nepal’s Chargé d’Affaires to the UK, Bipin Duwadi.
During the roughly two-and-a-half-hour discussion, Bailey gave a positive response to the former Gurkhas’ call for a resolution by this December, and reportedly assured them he would bring forward an acceptable package that wouldn’t require the Gurkhas to resort to a hunger strike again.
Duwadi urged Bailey to work toward a responsible, sustainable, and fair solution as soon as possible. The meeting revisited earlier ministerial-level decisions, the Nepal Supreme Court’s ruling, the Gurkhas’ hunger strikes, and frustration over long-unresolved issues, including retrospective pensions and an affordable settlement.
Duwadi said Bailey seemed genuinely engaged, listened attentively to all the representatives, and pledged to pursue outcomes rather than more open-ended commitments.
“Today’s informal meeting brought all stakeholders together and created space for everyone to speak freely,” Duwadi said, adding that there was an understanding to continue the dialogue going forward. Bailey also expressed sympathy over Nepal’s recent floods and touched on the UK government’s support in that regard.
Dharma Tamang, vice-chair of the Gurkha Army Ex-Servicemen’s Organisation (GAESO), said the group presented its long-standing demands and pressed for concrete outcomes this time, noting that promises alone have come before without follow-through.
He said the Gurkhas made clear they want a proposal with real progress and a defined timeline before December, and warned that if no resolution comes within that window, they will move ahead with protest actions. The British side, he said, committed to preventing that scenario and to pushing for a quick resolution through further talks with the government.
Krishna Bahadur Rai, chief coordinator of the Gorkha Satyagraha Joint Struggle Committee, said the Gurkhas held firm with the new veterans minister that their demands must be met by December.
Also present were Alex Baker MP, chair of the UK Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Nepal, and Brigadier General Anoop Shah, the Nepali Embassy’s defence attaché in London. Gurkha representatives at the meeting included GAESO chair Krishna Kumar Rai, GAESO vice-chair Dharma Bahadur Tamang, Krishna Bahadur Rai of the Gorkha Satyagraha Joint Struggle Committee, Major (Retd) Tikendradal Dewan of the British Gurkha Welfare Society, Kesh Bahadur Gurung, and several others.
Trilateral talks resumed Monday after a long pause, following the resignations of then-Defence Secretary John Healey and Veterans Minister Louise Sandher-Jones from Keir Starmer’s cabinet. That gap had left many former Gurkhas feeling discouraged, especially after a cabinet reshuffle under Prime Minister Andy Burnham further delayed related discussions.
